Cost of Living Comparison Between Punta del Este and Maldonado Cost of Living Comparison Between Punta del Este and Maldonado

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,094 in Punta del Este versus $1,325 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,316 in Punta del Este versus $2,090 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,537 in Punta del Este versus $2,856 in Maldonado.

Living in Punta del Este is roughly 58% more expensive than Maldonado, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Punta del Este is 56% above, Maldonado is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 UYU 739

$16.02 UYU 645

14.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.5 UYU 2,075

$54.8 UYU 2,205

-5.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 UYU 463

$11.03 UYU 444

4.35%

Cappuccino

$4.50 UYU 181

$4.15 UYU 167

8.43%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 UYU 145

$2.27 UYU 91.3

58.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 UYU 111

$1.75 UYU 70.7

57.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 UYU 147

$2.39 UYU 96.3

52.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 UYU 202

$3.69 UYU 149

35.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 UYU 53.9

$1.13 UYU 45.41

18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 UYU 98.8

$2.86 UYU 115

-14.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 UYU 87.6

$1.55 UYU 62.3

40.00%

Eggs

$3.95 UYU 159

$4.63 UYU 186

-14.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 UYU 560

$13.74 UYU 553

1.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 UYU 522

$10.77 UYU 434

20.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 UYU 500

$10.97 UYU 442

13.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 UYU 122

$2.19 UYU 88.2

38.81%

Banana (1kg)

$3.62 UYU 146

$2.39 UYU 96.2

51.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 UYU 80.0

$1.57 UYU 63.4

26.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 UYU 144

$3.54 UYU 142

1.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 UYU 89.8

$1.77 UYU 71.4

25.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 UYU 81.0

$1.93 UYU 77.6

4.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 UYU 52.7

$1.20 UYU 48.24

9.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 78.0

$1.61 UYU 64.9

20.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.79 UYU 193

$5.25 UYU 212

-8.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 UYU 320

$3.55 UYU 143

124.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 UYU 128

$1.88 UYU 75.8

69.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 UYU 205

$2.65 UYU 107

92.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 UYU 55.3

$1.32 UYU 53.2

3.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.46 UYU 1,951

$44.20 UYU 1,780

9.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 UYU 60.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 UYU 138

$2.10 UYU 84.5

63.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.43 UYU 541

$11.22 UYU 452

19.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 UYU 74.9

$1.81 UYU 73.0

2.76%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.9K UYU 1.2M

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

-13.11%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

-3.89%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$94.9 UYU 3,822

$155 UYU 6,262

-38.95%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.87 UYU 639

$16.93 UYU 682

-6.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.15 UYU 1,617

$43.30 UYU 1,744

-7.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.8 UYU 3,175

$45.88 UYU 1,848

71.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.64 UYU 992

$29.76 UYU 1,199

-17.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 UYU 402

$7.95 UYU 320

25.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$628 UYU 25.3K

$478 UYU 19.2K

31.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,454 UYU 300.2K

$7,205 UYU 290.2K

3.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 UYU 4,942

$85.1 UYU 3,427

44.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.3 UYU 2,551

$46.83 UYU 1,886

35.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 UYU 5,673

$88.9 UYU 3,581

58.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 UYU 5,993

$91.4 UYU 3,682

62.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 UYU 45.5K

$366 UYU 14.7K

208.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 UYU 36.2K

$285 UYU 11.5K

215.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,542 UYU 102.4K

$890 UYU 35.8K

185.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 UYU 76.1K

$600 UYU 24.2K

215.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,195 UYU 128.7K

$1,526 UYU 61.4K

109.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,025 UYU 81.5K

$1,299 UYU 52.3K

55.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,122 UYU 45.2K

$886 UYU 35.7K

26.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

-11.97%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Punta del Este: June 1, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,129 in Punta del Este and $366 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Punta del Este pays 27% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Punta del Este vs $55.0 in Maldonado. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $297, with Maldonado cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Punta del Este vs Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Punta del Este and Maldonado differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($2,094 vs $1,325 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Punta del Este pays 27% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,129 in Punta del Este versus $366 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Punta del Este versus $478 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Punta del Este. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,325 in Maldonado versus $2,094 in Punta del Este, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Punta del Este. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Punta del Este and Maldonado are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Punta del Este. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.